Carroll hopes to solve Seahawks’ penalty epidemic
Nov 18, 2011, 10:45 AM | Updated: 10:50 am
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By Michael Simeona
Nine games into the regular season, the Seahawks have a penalty epidemic on their hands.
Last week the Seahawks were flagged 13 times – 16 if you count the three penalties that were declined – and lost 100 yards to those infractions against the Baltimore Ravens. Normally, teams lose games for being penalized so much, but the Seahawks pulled off the 22-17 upset win on Sunday.
Knowing the Seahawks are the second most penalized team in the league (9.2 penalties/game) behind the always penalty-stricken Oakland Raiders (10.1 penalties/game), head coach Pete Carroll emphasized the need to stop the infractions in practice this week.
“We have a major competition going on this week with penalties in practice,” Carroll told 97.3 KIRO FM on Friday. “We don’t want it to be a factor in this Rams game so we’re really working hard at it.”
The Seahawks have been penalized 83 times in nine games, which is more than they had in six entire seasons since 1987. Most of those have come from false starts on the line of scrimmage, and with the loss of James Carpenter and John Moffitt to season-ending injuries this week, their replacements will need to stay disciplined before the ball gets snapped.
“It continues to be kind of spread around,” Carroll explained. “There’s a lot of guys making mistakes [and] trying too hard and those things can kind of get you.”
This week, the Seahawks enter the Edward Jones Dome to face the division rival St. Louis Rams for the first time this season. While playing in a domed stadium is usually an indicator of a hectic atmosphere, St. Louis has never been known for their raucous crowd.
Playing against the Rams could be the perfect antidote for the Seahawks’ penalty epidemic.
You can listen to the Pete Carroll Show on 97.3 KIRO FM, here.
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